••• The Osmosis~

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Have you wondered why many school children including adults come down with holes and decay in the teeth? Did you ever pray you know why your friends don't even want your conversation especially when your face is directly adjacent theirs? The reason is not far-fetched.

Consumption of sugary foods and drinks without attendant and commensurate care for the teeth is a broadway to halitosis (bad breath), tooth decay and ultimately tooth loss.  Debris of candies, sweets, fruits, juices and other sources of empty calories are a safe haven for bacteria which feed generously on them. The bacteria feeds and releases some acids (lactic acids) and other products of their metabolism like enzymes (collagenases, etc), which help to breakdown the teeth structural framework and makeup. 

After a prolonged series of this activity without interruption by your toothbrush and your favourite toothpaste, the bacteria continue to build colonies. Pain and brownish discolouration of the teeth is not uncommon in the onset and such parents who are not scrupulous enough to see the doom, which is coming often, take it for the normal shedding of milk teeth in their wards. 

Progressively, the pain may become worse and halitosis (bad breath) may set in. Halitosis, which is bad breath, is a pointer to poor mouth hygiene in a person and especially in children who never had it (halitosis) before. And to my amazement, you still see a lot of parents unconcerned that their child's teeth are on the verge of bye-bye. If not cared for, tooth decay becomes pronounced and the entire tooth structure may be involved. This decay often spreads to adjacent teeth as long as the overwhelming bacteria activity still persists. Hence, at this stage, the cure to that is tooth removal which is done by a dental surgeon or a dentist. It is not enough to brush your teeth but to brush it well. 

In toothbrushing, especially for children, the elderly persons or parents should emphasize up and down movement of brushing; brushing the inside and outside of the teeth; tongue brushing and brushing of the upper jaw. The tongue is another potential breeding site for this harmful bacteria that may cause dental caries or decay. The tongue is like an ecosystem of millions of bacteria after eating. Hence, you hear health professionals say, it is the dirtiest part of any man especially when not cared for appropriately- as it is the connoisseur for all sorts of good and bad food. Ergo, the care for the tongue can not be overrated. 

The upper jaw is another breeding ground for bacteria that most people don't know of yet probably because it is not emphasized. But I, for the sake of my readers, will recommend that the upper jaw should be included each time we brush our mouth. Many of my colleagues often wonder and ask why I do not have unfresh smell ever from my mouth. I tell them of my daily toothbrushing habit of including my upperjaw and they're blown away: they come back few days later with dazzling smile. Now, when you begin to brush the upperjaw, ensure you brush gently especially the soft palate which is just behind the hard palate as it may bleed slightly. Subsequently with frequent brushing, it tends to get better and the slight discomfort or tingling sensation wanes almost completely as though it were not real.

In conclusion, humorously, if you want to change your smile pattern, start by changing your cravings or cutting down on them. But if you can not do without your cravings, then I suggest you prepare for appropriate and effective brushing of your mouth. Do not bring doom on your teeth.

My Cravings and My Teeth

© 2021 The Osmosis~. All Rights Reserved

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